Soundtrack of the Month 09/2010: Freedom Fighters (Patriotic Edition)

With all the political tumultuousness in this country, I am reminded of a kinder, gentler time when the only badguys we needed to worry about were the ol’ “Russkies.” That’s right. I’m referring, of course, to the Cold War where everyone knew who the badguys were, battles were fought discreetly for the most part and, ultimately, the “goodguys” won. But what if that were not the case? What if the building intensity between the two great superpowers completely boiled over to the point of invasion? This is the question posited by IO Interactive’s underrated gem, Freedom Fighters, from 2003. This multiplatform actioner built on the same engine that facilitated the beloved Hitman series flew in under the radar – much like the game’s antagonists – but its soundtrack arrived with fire and gusto thanks to Jesper Kyd.

Join me as we fight off the Soviet invasion of New York City with one of the best soundtracks of the last ten years!

The main title of Freedom Fighters begins with dissonant voices beginning one at a time, eventually resolving – oddly enough – to a major chord. After a brief pause, a percussive choral march begins. This haunting theme is exactly the kind of thing nightmares are made of and would be a perfect Russian chorus if not for the addition of female voices (the famous Red Army Choir is all male voices). “March of the Empire” is another nefarious choral march, much more subdued in nature, featuring a solo soprano voice. The combination of old-styled Russian chorus with newer, Hans Zimmer-like percussion is a good recipe for bombastic, militaristic fun.

It’s not all doom and gloom for us “styupid Amyericans”! No, sir! The aptly titled “Battle for Freedom” comes blazing and could almost pass for a club tune if not for the more musical and reflective feel to it. Perhaps it is my own displacement of emotion, but I could not help but a feel a true sense of patriotic struggle, even within the confines of a piece that would probably lend itself more to a standard action sequence.

“Freedom Fighters” (title track) boasts a bass line reminiscent a 1960s spy thriller. But, with the appearance of the overwhelmingly treble choir, it becomes obvious that Kyd is highlighting the covert and underground struggle/movement of the American resistance to the Soviet takeover. A very nifty and clever little track perfect for the sneakier missions.

With the patriotism, desire for freedom, and struggle for survival also comes deep emotion after and between the storms. “Rebel Base” is just this respite. A simplistic, synthesized chord progression is all it takes to bring the player to his knees. A classy track that does not work quite as well out of its context (can seem a bit flat), but works brilliantly well accompanying sentimental conversation and gameplay housekeeping.

As I played the game when it was first released, I think most all Americans were still united and hadn’t drawn the hard lines in the sand that exist today. As a result, I felt an even larger swell of patriotism and enjoyment raising the virtual American flags atop buildings. Jesper Kyd created a score that scares just enough to make you hate those baddies, but not so much that it loses the “fun” of living out this fascinating alternate reality. Upon researching the score – which seemed to create a slightly bigger and more haunting effect on me – I came across a quote from Kyd that really changed the dynamic and paradigm through which I view his score and, subsequently, his game.

“I researched Russian music scales and specifically what makes Russian music so unique. The history of the Soviet Union and the Cold War conflict were also major contributing influences. Not many people know this but I wrote the Freedom Fighters score in Manhattan right after 9/11. It was quite a strange time writing music for a story about a foreign power invading Manhattan. I spent a lot of my time just playing the game to get a real, in-depth sense of the experiences that I needed to dramatize. I probably spent way too much time playing the game, but I just loved the fact that you could become a freedom fighter and help free New York City from an invading army.” – Jesper Kyd

Apart from the harrowing experience of 9/11 in Manhattan (which, sadly, I am all too familiar with being a resident) as influence, what’s notable here is that Jesper Kyd played the game extensively before writing the score. Not a single one of the games I have covered here at OSV had a full playable version given to the composer in preparation for his work. And what a difference it made.

The score to Freedom Fighters is available on iTunes and other outlets and is highly, highly recommended. This is easily my favorite of Kyd’s works and is one of the most underrated games of all time.